The annual alternative Charles Dickens story to A Christmas Carol.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Linda

A drifter joins a strange sheriff’s posse, only to discover he’s part of a ghost-hunting ritual—and far closer to the dead than he ever realized.

This story appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of SPOOKY Magazine.

Chad Gayle’s short speculative fiction has appeared in DreamForge Magazine, Inner Worlds, and Cosmic Horror Monthly.


You can read "Dead Man's Posse" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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Two brothers flee through frozen fells from an unearthly pursuit, only to discover a city that chooses who may enter and who must be lost.

Bio: Daniel Stride has a lifelong love of literature in general, and speculative fiction in particular. He writes both short stories and poetry; his stories have appeared in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Tales to Terrify Podcast, and Eternal Haunted Summer. His first novel, Wise Phuul, was published in 2016 by a small UK press, Inspired Quill. A sequel, Old Phuul, is due out in the near future. He likes chocolate and cats, and can be found blogging about the works of Tolkien (among other things) at https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/. Daniel lives in Dunedin, New Zealand.



You can read "Fleeing To The Dawn" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A celebrated self-help guru meets a follower whose “infinite patience” twisted his teachings into something dark.

Rick McQuiston is a 57-year-old horror fanatic with over 400 publications, including three novels. A new novel is due for publication in 2026. McQuiston spends his time working on new full-length and short stories.


You can read "The Patience Factor" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A pastor reconnects with a troubled parishioner only to find prophecy and madness entwined in tragedy.

Nathan Perrin (he/him/his) is a writer and Anabaptist pastor in Chicagoland. He holds an MA in Quaker Studies, and is a doctoral student studying Christian Community Development at Northern Seminary. His doctorate work centers on creating a writing program for nonprofits and churches to use to help under-resourced communities process trauma. His work has been published in the Dillydoun Review, Bangalore Review, Collateral Journal, Esoterica Magazine, etc. His forthcoming novella Memories of Green Rivers will be released in winter 2026 by Running Wild Press. He is also a screenwriter for an unannounced indie comedy series. For more information, visit www.nathanperrinwriter.com

You can read "A Prophet's Hometown" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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When a priest sells his dying church to a nightclub owner, he discovers that even the dead still demand redemption.

Ed Ahern resumed writing after forty odd years in foreign intelligence and international sales. He’s had over four hundred fifty stories and poems published so far, and nine books. Ed works the other side of writing at Bewildering Stories, where he sits on the review board and manages a posse of eight review editors, and as lead editor at Scribes Microfiction.
https://twitter.com/bottomstripper 
https://www.facebook.com/EdAhern73/?ref=bookmarks
https://www.instagram.com/edwardahern1860/'


You can read "Penance" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A ski trip to Japan turns into a darker adventure when two friends encounter a spirit that wants something.

Paul Walter is an Irish-born, recently retired illustrator, art teacher, and occasional author. He has had two children’s books published by Penguin; Grandpa’s Big Adventure, and Grandpa’s Space Adventure. His literary novel, Fin Rising, was originally published by Really Blue Books in 2012 and was re-published in 2022 by Púca. It is available on Amazon In his spare time, Paul likes fishing, playing pétanque and writing novels. 'Hungry Ghost' is the first chapter of a half-finished manuscript with the working title 'The Suicide Forest'


You can read "Hungry Ghost" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A student filmmaker recreating an old murder discovers that the past is not done performing its part.

A life-long resident of Melbourne, Australia, Rick is retired after 42 years in the transport industry. His stories have appeared in magazines, anthologies and podcasts and he has several books on Amazon. He hasn’t been owned by a cat for decades and must resort to talking to next door's white tom who sometimes condescends to talk back to him.


You can read "TheFaces in Morgan Alley" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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When the Rodadora arrive, born of blood and storm, a family braces for survival against an ancient, inescapable force.

Helen Gallegos Evans has taught Los Angeles students for 24 years. She enjoys writing, photography, reading, walking, and engaging conversations. Her works have appeared in Gingerbread House Literary, Acentos Review, The Amaranth Review, Papercuts, Bards and Sages Quarterly, and elsewhere.


You can read "The Rodadora" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A woman servant is under a monster’s spell. A chance encounter with a stranger makes her  question whether her life—and her very identity—are her own.

Salem Savage-Cutcher strives to spark whimsy in the world. They write experimental and just plain weird fantasy, horror, and magical realism. They have previously been published in the Iris Review. You can find them at salemsavagecutcher@neocities.org.


You can read "Brainworm" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

A boy hears his mother’s voice calling from the closet—but didn't he just see his mother downstairs?

David Corisis is a born-and-raised Idahoan and graduate of Gonzaga University. He lives the exciting life of a programmer by day and aspiring writer by night. When not sharing a keyboard with his cat, David enjoys running, brewing mead, playing Magic the Gathering, camping, and worrying about the ever-marching hand of time stealing everything he holds dear. His favorite books include At the Mountains of Madness, and Flatland. He couldn’t be happier taking on the world and its challenges with his eternally inspirational wife at his side. To find out more, you can visit www.dcorisis.com.

His Spine-Tingling Tales anthology was just released. See his webpage for more information.

You can read "The Gap in the Closet" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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Photo by Veronica on Unsplash

A near-death crash leaves Paul seeing strange, sheet-like entities that drift between life and death—and follow him home.

L.N. Hunter’s comic fantasy novel, ‘The Feather and the Lamp,’ sits alongside works in anthologies such as ‘The Monsters Next Door’ and ‘Best of British Science Fiction 2022’ as well as Short Édition’s ‘Short Circuit’ and the ‘Horrifying Tales of Wonder’ podcast. There have also been papers in the IEEE ‘Transactions on Neural Networks,’ which are probably somewhat less relevant and definitely less fun. When not writing, L.N. unwinds in a disorganised home in rural Cambridgeshire, UK, along with two cats and a soulmate.

You can read "Shadows" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A man wakes from illness to find the world around him terrifyingly changed.

Stefan Sofiski is the pen name of a Bulgarian author living in the UK. Stefan works as an engineering professional by day and uses every free minute to write.

You can read "Fever" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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Roxie Hart is a wise-cracking, ghostly private detective solving supernatural crimes with sass, grit, and a spectral zapper.



Daniel P. Douglas is the pen name for identical twins Phillip and Paul Garver. Phillip, a U.S. Army veteran, former intelligence analyst, and retired federal government employee, and Paul, with 30 years in the museum profession including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, write science fiction, suspense, and thrillers. Their award-winning works include Truth Insurrected: The Saint Mary Project, about an extraterrestrial contact cover-up, and the Richter's War series. Named a 2014 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Finalist and Readers’ Favorite Award winner, they reside in New Mexico with their families. Find out more at https://authordanielpdouglas.substack.com/.

You can read "The Spook Who Sleuths" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A former Nazi guard returns to the camp where he worked. His memories stir up old ghosts.

Alice Baburek is an avid reader, determined writer, and animal lover. She lives with her female partner and four canines. Retired, she challenges herself to become an unforgettable emerging voice.

You can read "Stairway to Death" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A man’s car radio intercepts occult broadcasts that lead him to a motel where ancient gods, lost loves, and unimaginable horrors converge.

Nick Porisch is a writer based in the Northern Midwest. Most of the time you can find him just sitting around someplace, potentially writing genre fiction and screenplays but usually just sitting. On the rare occasion he’s not sitting around, he might be rock climbing or running. But most likely he’s just sitting somewhere.

You can read "Transmitter" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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When a ghost warns a journalist about her impending death, she learns the afterlife depends on one thing: believing it exists.

Deborah Sale-Butler was born on Halloween and loves to play with supernatural elements in her stories. Her work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in dozens of publications including the Dead Girls Walking Anthology—where today’s story first appeared,— Twisting, Turning Timeshifts Anthology, Three X the Fun Anthology, Flash Phantoms, Suddenly and Without Warning, and Amazing Stories. You can find links to all of her published work and social media at https://deborah-sale-butler.com

You can read "Expectations" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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In the fields of haunted pastures, a cursed shepherd faces the sins of his past.

K. D. P. Wildwood is a trans Midwestern author living in Ohio with his husband and their cat. He enjoys tabletop games, observing the weather, gardening, and horror media.

You can read "The Revenant" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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A promise made to the dying draws one man back to an abandoned house, where he finds strange comfort.

Ed Ahern resumed writing after forty odd years in foreign intelligence and international sales. He’s had 550 stories and poems published so far, and twelve books. Ed works the other side of writing at Bewildering Stories where he manages a posse of six review editors, and as lead editor at Scribes Micro.

You can read "Empty House" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Other stories by Ed Ahern:
The Care Dog
Raikou and the Shi-ten Doji
Penance


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A gang of graveyard-bound ghosts welcomes a familiar visitor—but this sunny spring day holds a surprise neither the living nor the dead will forget.

Jim Wright (he/him) lives in central New York State, USA. He writes short stories when he can and works as a school psychologist when he must. He is a past member of the Downtown Writer’s Center in Syracuse, NY.

You can read "Ghost Picnic" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

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